Fruit drier



Oct. 29, 1935.

D. C. MORRIS El' AL yFRUIT DRIER Filed June 19, 1954 JILQQIL- 3 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEYS Oct. 29, 1935.

D. c. MORRIS ET AL 2,019,087

FRUIT DRIER Filed June l9, 1934 I 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 D. CMorris *he BY O Cockrxlll.

Oct. 29, 1935. D. c. MORRIS x-:r AL 2,019,087

FRUIT DRIER Filed June 19. 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 wlTNEssEs CM |NVELORS Bfrffcodm-zz, MMM/l anula/:Amb fm? ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 29, 1935 I 2,019,087Lk PATENT OFFICE FRUIT DRIER Douglas C. Morris and Leonard O. Cockrll, Yakima, Wash., assignors and Equipment Company, Yakima,

to Fruit Packers Supply Wash., a

corporation of Washington Application June 19, 1934, Serial No. 731,328

1 Claim.

This invention relates to fruit driers. In the preparation of fresh fruits for shipment that have been sprayed with arsenic of lead or other insecticide it is not only customary but obligatory that such fruits be washed to reduce the residue of the spray to a predetermined degree as iixed from time to time by the pure food laws. Immediately after the fruit is washed it is ordinarily passed through a drying or wiping apparatus to remove sufficient moisture in order that it be possible for the fruit to pass to the sorters, then to the wrapping and packing department.

It has been proposed, after the fruit has been washed for removal of residue of the spray, to employ mechanical driers or wipers of different varieties. One of the most common types is an Vendless belt operating longitudinally of a conveyor which carries the fruit and having attached thereto a series of depending Wip-ing members preferably formed of absorbent cloth. These wiping members are securely fastened to the end.- less belt and as the wiped fruit passes over the conveyor the moving belt drags the absorbent members over the fruit and then through a wringer roll at the end of the conveyor for removing excess moisture from the wiping members.

In the operation of the type of drier just described considerable difficulty is experienced in maintaining a carrier belt in its proper relation since as the wetting and drying of said belt causes it to creep on the pulleys over which it travels and the pressure of the wringer often times causes the belt to crawl and make its practical operation questionable.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a drying and wiping machine along the type just described in which the objectionable features outlined above have been eliminated.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a drying or wiping machine in which a belt carrying a plurality of absorbent wiping members are attached to a series of longitudinally disposed belts, cio-operating means being formed on the belt and pulleys for preventing the belts from getting out of line or running off the pulleys.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a drying or wiping machine in which a plurality of belts are employed having dependent wiping members attached thereto with the belts provided with internal annular ribs riding in complementarily formed grooves on the pulleys over which the belt operates.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a drying or wiping machine in which a plurality of belts carrying dependent absorbent members are adapted to move the absorbent members in a trailing fashion over fruit which is being conveyed beneath the absorbent members and revolved so that all of the moisture from the 5 fruit will be taken up by the absorbing members.

This invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description, in view of the accompanying drawings forming a part of the specification;nevertheless, it is 10 to be understood that the invention is not coniined to the disclosure, being susceptible of such changes and modifications as define no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claim. l

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side view of a drier constructed in accordance with the principles of our invention,

Figure 2 is a fragmentary transverse vertical section taken along the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical section taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 5,

Figure 4 is a transverse vertical section taken along the line 4 4 of Figure 3,

Figure 5 is a transverse verticalv section taken 25 along the line 5-5 of Figure 1, and

Figure 6 shows more or less diagrammatically the conveyor elements in operation.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, IIJ designates a pair of posts at one end of the ma- 3 chine while II designates a pair of posts at the opposite end. It will be noted that the posts II are of greater height than the posts I0 due to the fact that the drying mechanism is located at an angle to the vertical. 35

An angle iron I2 is disposed longitudinally of the machine and connects the pairs of posts together as shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

Horizontally disposed bars I3 connect the posts I0 and II together at opposite sides of the machine and at a predetermined height above the lower ends of the posts. Brace bars I4 connect the intermediate portions of the bars I3 with the posts ID and II.

Auxiliary posts I5 are connected at their lower ends to the bars I3 and are disposed in parallel relation with the posts I0. The upper end of each post II is connected with an auxiliary post I5 by means of an inclined bar I6 at each side of the machine. 50

Bearings 20 are rigidly secured to the upper ends of the posts 20 and carry a drive shaft 2l.

A pulley or drum 22 is rigidly connected with the shaft 2 I. A bearing 23 is mounted upon the outer or upper end of the inclined bar I6 and drum 25. Each of the rollers 25 and 22 are pr vided with a plurality of annular grooves 38. As

shown in Fig. 4 the side walls of the grooves are moisture.

beveled, as shown at 3|. A plurality of belts 32 are trained on the pulleys and each belt at its inner face is provided with an annular rib V33 having the same cross sectional area as the grooves 36 so that these ribs will neatly fit within the grooves and prevent the belt from creeping'or slipping. Thus it will be seen that the beltsn and pulleys are provided with co-operating means for guiding the belts in a direct longitudinal movement over the plurality of'pulleys. The belts are rubber covered to prevent the absorption of moisture. An adjusting means of any well known type, as shown at 35, is provided on theside-bars I6 and in connection with the bearings 23 for the shaft 24 which carries the idler pulleys-"25'.r

This means is adapted to tighten the beltwhen necessary. I

At intervals along the outer surface of the belts 32 are secured a. plurality of dependent members 36 which are formed of absorbent material and are adapted to be trailed over the fruit on a conveyor presently to be described for wiping the moisture from the washed fruit. Y. Y A wringer for the members 36 is closely associated with the driven drums or pulleys 22 for Yremoving the moisture from the dependent members before said dependent members have .been moved to an inoperative positionv at the upper portion of the moving belt as shown'in Figs. 1 and 3. This wringer arrangement consists of a shaft 40 upon which is secured a metal sleeve 4| having end iianges 42. Embracing the sleeve`4l is a collar 43 formed of soft rubber which compresses against the dependent members for removing The opposite ends of the shaft 40 are mounted in bearings 44 which are secured to plates 45 and these plates are rigidly connectedto spaced rods 46. vThe outer ends of these rods are threaded, as shown at 41, and upon which a nut 48 is screwed for maintaining the rods in position. A coil spring 4.9 embraces each rod and is located between a flange 56 of the post I0 and the inner face of the plate 45. The anges5| of the posts I8 are. cut away as shown at 52 to provide openings for the springs49. VBy this construction it Vwill be seen that the wringer roller is resiliently mounted and will tend at alltimes to press against the dependent members 36 for removing moisture.

A sprocket wheel is` rigidly secured to one lend of the shaft 2| and over this sprocket wheel `is trained a chain 56. This chain is driven in any suitable-manner by mechanism, not shown.

. AV conveying means is provided for moving the fruit beneath the traveling belt 32 and' in substantial parallel Vrelationship with` the belt so that theY free ends of the dependent absorbent members 36 will wipe the fruit while means is included in the conveyor for causing the fruit to be revolved so that all parts of the fruit will be wiped.V

The conveyor vincludes thin Vstrips of .metal members 60 which are held stationary and are provided with curved pockets 6| arranged along the length of the conveyor for supporting fruit.

y The inner ends of the strips are provided with inclined members 62'to receive the fruit and guide it upon theri'lrst curved pocket 6I. The opposite ends of these strips have inclined Yportions ISI to discharge the fruit from the conveyor.

A plurality of the spaced parallelly disposed strips 60 are supported at intervals by means o1' uprights 65 which have their upper ends secured to the strips 6| while the lower ends are supported by T-beams 66 disposed transversely and beneath the belt 36. Angle irons 66a are directly B connected to the side bars I 3 while the angle irons 66 are supported b-y legs 61 connected to the side bars I3.

Located at opposite sides of each of the strips 6 I` are a plurality of strips 10 connected at interl0 vals Ato rods or .bars 1|. Angle irons 12 disposed in spaced relation with each other have legs 13 for connecting the same with movable side bars 14. 'Ihe ends of the strips 18 are connected together by means of transverse bars 15. 16 A shaft operates as a drive shaft since the chain 56 istrained over a sprocket 8| which is secured to the shaft 80. Said shaft is mounted in bearings: 82 Icarried by the side bars I3. The shaft 80 has .a .crank 83 having a pin 84at its outer end pivotallyv connected with a bar 85 secured tothe side bar or` plate 15 so that as the sprocket is revolved the inner end of theY side bars 15 are moved through an arc of a circle. A rod 86 is pivotally connected with one end of a crank 81 which is connected to the shaft 88. The other end o-f the rod is pivotally connected at 88 with the outer end of a link 89 rigidly secured to a pivoted shaft 98 mounted in bearings 9| carried Yby the rails or bars I3. A pair 80 'of cranks 92 are rigidly connected with the .shaft 90 and have their outer ends pivotally connected at 93 with links 94. These links are plv:

otally connected at 95 with straps 96 secured to .4- the side bars15 of the conveyor. It will be noted 85 that a duplicate arrangement of the operating meansis located upon opposite sides of the drier.

The operation of my device is as follows: When power is applied to the chain 56 thesprockets 55 are revolved as are the sprockets 8|. When the sprockets 85 are revolved the belts 32 are moved in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig.n 1. As this happens the dependent members '36 which are folded upon the upper portion of the traveling belts will 'i'all when they pass beyond the post 25 so that the free ends will be in a position to wipe the fruit carried upon the conveyor. l Y Y The strips 60 having the curved pockets ISI remain stationary during the operation of the con- Y veyor but the strips 18 are shifted throughs. 50 movement substantially that of a parallelogram due to the operation of the rotation of `the shaft 88 and the rocking of the shaft 90. Y

As shown morel particularly in Fig. 6, the strips 10 are bent at right angles to form straight en- 55 gaging portions |00 and these straight portions engage the fruit which are resting inthe curved pockets 6I and move them upwardly and over the raised portions IUI of the stationary strips V6|). The straight portions |00 move through verti- 00 cal planes and are always inclined at 'an angle to the horizontal as indicatedV by the dotted line positions in Fig. 6. As the fruit is moved upwardly over the curved side edgesof the pockets 6| it will be revolved continuously and also will 05 be revolved when theypass the raised portions I0| of the stationary strips 60, whereby the fruit is being exposed at all points to the wiping action of the dependent members 36. Y Y

The oscillating movement of the strips 18 not 'l0 Vonly revolve the fruit but vcarry them continu- The movable portion being in the shape of a V will always place the objects or fruit ahead of the center of the arcs or curved portions 6l of the stationary members 60, thereby allowing the objects to roll back unt'l they are centered in each pocket. This action provides a rolling and turningmovement at each step along the conveyor to provide complete surface contact of the objects with the free ends of the dependent members 35.

.es each of Vthe dependent members 3S after having absorbed moisture from the fruits will pass between the rubber covering 43 of the wringer roiler and the pulleys 22 whereby moisture which has been collected by the absorbent dependent members will be removed and they will be in a position when they again `come in Contact with the fruit to absorb moisture.

ribs 33 on the belts will always maintain in position and since these ribs are n the grooves 3@ they will have no t whatever upon the wringing action by the member We claim:

A fruit dr'ier comprising a plurality of spaced inclined rods forming supports for fruit, each of said rods being bent at spaced distances along the lengths thereof to'form curved pockets to support fruit individually, a movable rod between Y each support and bent to form substantiallyv right angular V-shaped notches, means for shifting the rods so that one leg of each notch will out across a plane which passes throughthe leg of an adjacently disposed curved pocket for lifting and rolling the fruit from a lower pocket to a succeeding higher pocket whereby the fruitis moved along the inclined rods Whilepermitting free moisture on the fruit to be discharged by gravity between the rods, the other leg of each V-shaped notch movingy substantialiy along a plane passing through the other leg of the curved pockets and cooperating with said leg for guiding the fruit in the next succeeding pocket, a plufor causing theV wipers to be drawn over the moving fruit in a rality of spaced wipers, means direction which is opposite to the direction of movement oi the ascending fruit so that the free ends of the wipers when dragging over the fruit which is being moved up the inclined rods will aid in revolving said fruit while said wipers move down the inclined rods. Y

LEONARD O. COCKRILL. DOUGLAS C. MORRIS. 

